"I'VE WON THE DERBY”

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1028, 19 July 1930, Page 12

"I'VE WON THE DERBY”

AGA KHAN DELIGHTED AT SUCCESS THE FAMOUS EPSOM CLASSIC The following racy article on last month's Epsom Derby is from the pen of "Rapier,” the London turf critic, and will be read with considerable interest by sportsmen: The Derby, the Oaks, the Coronation Cup, bad starts and good starts, fluked races and unlucky losers, winners and losers—all these things and a thousand more crowd on one’s mind when beginning to write on Epsom Derby week with only the leavings of two pages into which to squeeze it. Alone In His Glory One memory dwarfs all others. It is of the Aga Khan, a matter of seconds only between his Blenheim’s passing the winning post as the 1930 Derby winner and his appearance on the track. There he was in absolutely solo possession. The horses had passed on to be pulled up, the first three to make a leisurely return to the paddock, the rest to pass into a speedy oblivion. Not even a single policeman had emerged from nowhere to carry on. His Highness had watched the race from that little stand which I have always known as D’Arcy’s stand. Lord Lonsdale, who is a steward of the meeting, finds a home in its temporary crow’s-nest. Blenheim's owner, therefore, had merely to descend two or three wooden steps, stoop to pass under the rails, and there lie was on the course treading the same turf, standing in the footsteps of the horse that had just gained glory for one who in the space of ten years had lavished an enormous sum in paving the way for those splendid moments. The Winning Smile

His benign features were ablaze with a smile as long and as broad as from Epsom to Doncaster where the St. Leger is run. The thousands hereabouts were more or less stunned by the result. The Aga Khan’s shortpriced chance Rustom Pasha had never been sighted; Diolite had been trounced; Silver Flare had just failed to get that place for which he had been declared a certainty; Noble Star had not transformed a selling plater into a Derby winner; Ballyferis had let Ireland down with a suggestion of a nasty bump; and one in the second colours of the Aga Khan had contrived by a length to keep out of first place a long-odds chance, Iliad, who only a hundred yards from home had looked an absolute certainty to win. All these happenings may be said to have a mesmerising effect- When the thousands in the vicinity of the winning post faced realities again the first thing they saw was the Aga Khan alone on the greensward and heading for his hero so that he might meet him and lead him into the unsaddling enclosure. The people cheered as if they had backed the winner. Friend of England

Nino out of ten of the cheerers had done nothing of the sort. It was the Aga Khan’s smile and the sight of the man in possession that simply compelled to cheer. They were cheering not so much the horse as the man, the man who has been a fine friend of England all his life, and who they know’ had at last gained his ambition. He had won the Derby! These were, indeed, the first words he remarked to the writer not so many moments after what I have been describing. “Well,” he said, “I’ve won the Derby,” and he said it like a man who thought he ought to pinch himself to make sure he was not still in a beautiful dream. The cheerers delighted to see his frank confession of joy as he walked alone. And as they cheered he raised his hat, waved it. and they cheered still more so that he made no attempt to restore his headgear to its rightful place. When it comes to my turn to win the Derby I shall try to model my demeanour on the Aga Khan’s frank and undisguised delight, and believe that I have deserved, as 1 am sure he did, the charming plaudits of the crowd that put quick appreciation of steady and enthusiastic endeavour before any personal disappointments. I know the result did not please a tithe of the people on the famous Downs, because they had backed one or other of the losers. Yet thev cheered the Aga Khan. Jockey's Wrong Pick I did not notice any cheering of the Aga Khan’s jockey, Michael Beary, who had chosen to ride Rustom Pasha in the first colours- in preference to Blenheim. He took upon himself a great responsibility when he decided to ride Rustom Pasha. Such multi tud . followed him into the wilderness and were left desolate. All Rustomites should derive some consolation from the fact that if one who would give anything to ride a Derby winner could err when supposed to be in possession of the true facts then there must be an excuse for them. Han Wragg who was on Blenheim, is being praised sky-high for his brilliant judgment in not jumping off in the lead and trying to make every yard of the running. As I saw the race he had no choice in the matter. Blenheim did not go straight out of the gate, which caused him to lose two or three lengths and make him actually last away. Perhaps that won him the race. And, anyhow, ho may have had no more to do than beat some non-stayers in Diolite and Co., and one slightly less speedy than himself in Iliad, but at least equal to him in stamina, as one day we shall see. The time of the race was not good, and I shall not join in condemning the jockeys of Diolite and Rustom Pasha for riding their horses into the ground. They just could not stay, for neither was ridden with less consideration tl i most of the post-war Derby winners Just Short Of The Best

Silver Flare finished close up fourth. I remember that his trainer, Basil Jarvis, remarked to me just before the Two Thousand Guineas that he regretted he was not a 101 b better horse, in which case he would have been another Papyrus, whom he trained. That just about appraises Silver Flare at his true worth. I have said the time of the race was not good though

the conditions were most favourable for a fast time. Critics of the jockeys of Diolite and Rustom Pasha base their argument on the breakneck pace from the outset, which inevitably must cause horses to spin themselves out before reaching the end of a mile and a-lialf. Thus a comparatively slow finish, they say, makes the poor time. They may be right. On the other hand, Ray, who j rode Diolite, said his horse was always going easily on the bit, and he never asked him to go beyond his own pace. When he suddenly weakened halfway up the straight, he took him wholly by surprise, for the colt had not thrown out a single warning signal. That story suggests want of stamina, and as time goes on we shall probably find that Blenheim and Iliad beat some moderate non-stayers. At the same time I have never yet seen a Derby winner make the whole of the running. Being in the first four rounding Tattenham Corner into the straight is another matter. Blenheim was fourth at that point, ready to accept his chance the moment Diolite, Rustom Pasha, and Iliad weakened. Trainer's Triumph I could write such lots more by way of reflection. Both Dick Dawson as trainer and Harry Wragg as jockeys have been associated with Derby winners before, and I ought, of course, to add Blandford, for that now great sire was also responsible for last year’s winner Trigo, who was trained by my friend the Whatcombo. trainer. He certainly does understand high-class horses, and in the case of Blenheim his part has been something in the nature of a triumph, for the colt had some very hard races as a two-year-old. Only the exercise of real art would secure his confidence and bring him to a state of perfect physical condition by the appointed day. When I first set eyes on him as a three-year-old—it was at Newbury early in April, for the Greenham Stakes—l was frankly disappointed. I did not think ho would ever be big enough to win a Derby, but there was the old quality and delightful ‘action- He might have won the Two -Thousand Guineas had not the going that day been very soft. It was because he ran so well in the circumstances and also for the reason that »o many fourths and unplaced horses for the Guineas have won the Derby that I saved on him last week. Form Was Correct It was said last back-end that the two-year-old form would be smashed up when those horses were produced that could not be trained last season on account of the months of hard going. Well, Diolite, the best of them, won the Two Thousand Guineas. Fair Isle, the best filly, won tlid One Thousand Guineas, and Blenheim, nearly the best colt, won the Derby. It was the Oaks that enabled one of the unknowns of last year to play the best innings. Rose of England, by the French sire, Teddy, never ran as a two-year-old. Her first appearance was for the One Thousand Guineas, and in finishing fifth when lacking experience of racing she was not far behind the winner. Four weeks of good work and steady progress sufficed to send her to the head of affairs among the fillies, for hers was a most convincing and stylish win. She deserved to win, too, because she stood out on looks. Poor Fair Isle tried to pull herself together just before the race, but she had sweated away her chance in the train on the journey from Newmarket, while untouched food showed how hor nerves were failing her. Grit and courage won her the One Thousand Guineas when she had not to leave home. When the nervous 6ystem breaks down, as was the case with her. the mere physical state will not avail. Bought In Sale Ring Odd that the first four of the Derby and two ouf of the first three for the Oaks, including the two classic winners, should have been yearling purchases through the sale ring. The fact will do the sales this year a bit of good. Thus Blenheim, who was bred by Lord Carnarvon (though not. I believe, backed by him except at £I.OOO to £lO which he took when the colt was a yearling) cost the Aga Khan 4.100 guineas: Iliad cost Mr. Somerville Tattersall 2,300 guineas; only 480 guineas sufficed to buy Diolite: and Silver Flare cost Major Courtaul 2,100 guineas. Rose of England fetched 3.100 guineas when Lord Glanely bought her. I remember seeing Alec Taylor looking at her for a long time when she was exercising one evening in the sale paddocks at Doncaster. Perhaps he was merely interested because he trained for her breeder, Lady James Douglas. I rather fancy, though, lie had a commission to buy one or two yearlings. *■ Wedding Favour, who was second to Rose of England, was, I believe, bred by her owner, Lord Howard de Walden, but Mlcmae was one of Lord Beaverbrook’s big plunges in bloodstock. He paid 7,000 guineas for her, and very handsome she was as a yearling, too. Derby Worth £11,975 The total value of this year’s English Derby was £11,975, of which £9,578 15s went to first, £*1,197 10s to second, £598 15s to third, and £SOO to the breeder of the winner. In the past a fixed sum was 6et aside for second and third. Last year the amounts were respectively £4OO and £2OO, but this year 10 per cent of the gross prize went to second, and 5 per cent, to third. As the added money was £3,000. owners subscribed £8,975 in sweepstakes and forfeits. LIVED TO RIDE AGAIN JOCKEY’S BROKEN NECK W. Duncan, Victoria's leading jockey, resumed work at Caulfield recently. It was his first since his fall off Quick Reward at Epsom last November, when he was seriously injured, his neck being broken. Duncan rode a New Zealand-bred horse in M. McGrath’s stable.